1. Technical Field
Generally this invention relates to trivets. More specifically, the invention is a multifaceted trivet having a plurality of uses.
2. State of the Art
Given the state of modern cooking and the preference to have a certain level of economy for the clean up, it is common to utilize the same containers for cooking, heating and serving. Accordingly, it is often the case that a hot cooking container is not placed on the dining table for serving purposes to prevent burning or marking of the table. There is wide spread usage of trivets. Trivets come in a variety of configurations and materials which have one common purpose of insulating hot containers from the surface upon which they are placed. Accordingly, trivets have a certain level of heat resistance so that the top surface upon which a container is placed may be kept heat safe. Depending on the material used for the trivets and the trivet configuration, it is common for the trivet to be heat safe in a range of 320° to 675° Fahrenheit.
Additionally trivets may have legs which lift them off the surface of the table on which they are placed. This separation acts as further insulation to prevent damage to the tabletop. However, some trivets are also mat like and may be laid flat upon the table surface with the heated container placed on top. Often such mat-like-trivets are made of highly insulated material such as ceramic in order to be usable with extremely hot containers.
Another challenge which is often faced when serving hot containers is the movement of the container from the kitchen area to the serving area. Often potholders are used to handle these containers. However, it is not uncommon for potholders to fail to provide a sufficient grip or not fully cover the heated surface which can result in injury to the server and others should the container be dropped. In addressing this issue, it is common to use serving trays of various types which have handles that are sufficiently removed from the heated container to allow the server to deliver the heated container to the serving table. Often these serving trays are placed right on the table and also functioned to insult the heated container from the tabletop.
While trivets are very useful for their intended purpose however due to the fact that they have only a singular usage purchasers often do not wish to buy a large number of trivets. Furthermore, since space is almost always an issue in kitchens, the number of trivets is often kept to a minimum. The difficulty with this is that when making a large meal, with numerous hot items, one may find they do not have a sufficient number of trivets to meet their needs.
Difficulties also arise when it becomes necessary to move the high temperature container and the trivet upon which it rests. This is of special concern due to the fact that the container and its ingredients are normally so hot that they can cause burning of an individual's skin. Further, it is sometimes difficult to carry the heated container to the table upon which it will rest.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field of trivets for a multifaceted trivet for addressing the various needs and uses of trivets.